March to May: baleen whales, sperm whales, dolphins.

June to October: sperm whales, long-finned pilot whales, beaked whales, dolphins, sometimes baleen whales.

September & October: sperm whales, long-finned pilot whales, dolphins, often baleen whales, false killer whale.

An excursion takes about three hours. In the early morning the vigia reports the sightings and guides the boats to the spots. The boats only leave the harbour when a sighting has been registered. Before each tour our well-trained guides hold a briefing. Afterwards the life jackets are distributed and you go aboard.

Our experienced guides are always available during the trip to explain what you see and get the maximum observation for you possible. But with all this in mind or first rule is to work with the animals in a sustainable way……animals first. If we have the feeling that we disturb we aboard the observation. Our skippers that belong to the best in the world, some with decades of experience, read the behaviour of the animals and then decide what is possible and what is not possible.

We are working with 2 types of boats. 

The common boats for whale watching in Pico are speed zodiacs with 12 passengers seats. The plus of this kind of observation is that you observe the animals almost from water level. The boats are fast and can react fast. 

Speed Zodiak 8,50m with 250-300 hp outboard engines and 12 seats

The second type of boat we use is our power catamaran Reefcat. This boat has a flight bridge and is comfortable with an indoor cabin. A Toilet is on board. The plus of this boat is that you travel very comfortable and you can use the flight bridge for observation. You see the animals already from far. 

Reefcat 12,90m with 2 x 350 hp inboard engines and 19 guest seats

Whale Watching here on Pico Island will be your best wildlife experience during your stay on the Azores. Being able to watch whales and dolphins at close range is a dream for a lot of people which can turns into reality on Pico Island. Nearly nowhere else in the world it is possible to see such a wide variety of whales and dolphins during one season. The most common whale we observe on our Whale Watching Trips is the sperm whale.

The Azores are a historical whaler spot. Many of the old whalers are still alive and you will see the footprints of this tradition in many places. The old system to find the whales was based on land spotters. The man doing this work are called “Vigia “. They are sitting in little observation towers around the Island and look with strong binoculars to the ocean. They are able to tell a whale species by the blow even when the animal is more than 10km away. With the traditional and impressive system we find the whales and that makes our system unique. We run a success of 99% to meet Cetacea during our trips because there is always something around. Due to the Vigia we are able to get straight to the sighting spot and present this wonder of nature to you.  

Up to 27 different species of whales and dolphins can be observed throughout the year in the Azores. All year round there are four kinds of dolphins in the waters. Bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, striped dolphins as well as Risso´s Dolphins, feed themselves at the “buffet” that nature has to offer. In Mid-June large pods of spotted dolphins join the water around Pico. Here, the animals give birth and can emerge in groups of up to 1,000 individuals. Together with other dolphins, Cory’s shearwaters, bonitos and sword fish, hunt alongside for scads and sardines. Whale Watching on Pico Island is definitely a must do during your trip to the Azores.

• Sun protection

• A towel

• Sun glasses
a 

• Light rain jacket

• Shoes that can be wet 

• Photo / Video equipment

• Tablets against seasickness